Kedar Jadhav, all-rounder without the tag

Kedar Jadhav's value to the Indian ODI set up is as underrated as the extent to which his right arm can stoop while bowling.

Even as the team management is looking at zeroing in on a second all-rounder as back up to Hardik Pandya in India's World Cup squad, Jadhav is proving to be exactly that, albeit without that fancy tag.

The first of India's final five ODIs before the mega event — against Australia in Hyderabad on Saturday — provided a perfect glimpse of why a multifaceted utility cricketer like Jadhav completes a team filled with specialist match-winners.

The 33-year-old from Pune not only broke the blossoming second-wicket partnership between Marcus Stoinis and Usman Khawaja but also returned with the bat in hand to further dent Australia's spirit that was on a high after reducing India to 99/4 in a tricky chase of 237.

Jadhav's effort in Hyderabad wasn't a one-off, though.

Ever since he has walked back into the playing XI after a spate of injuries last year, Jadhav has had some vital contributions to show.

Think Dubai last September, where his three wickets blew Pakistan's middle-order away and shot them out for 162. Think Melbourne in January this year, where — in almost a carbon copy of Hyderabad — Jadhav took India over the line with his favourite partner in crime, MS Dhoni, with an unbeaten 61 chasing Australia's 231. Think Hamilton last month, where his knock of 34 played its part in taking India from a precarious 18/4 to 252, a total that eventually was enough with Jadhav also picking up the key wicket of New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

These aren't the headline-screaming things that many of Jadhav's more illustrious colleagues usually do on the cricket field, yet they are equally imperative in completing the Indian ODI team's success story.

There's a common thread that binds Jadhav, the batsman and Jadhav, the bowler: his astute cricketing brain and street-smartness.

Realising that the need of the hour was to ride the tide when the Aussies were smelling blood on Saturday, Jadhav didn't fret too much over the ever-climbing asking rate initially. But with Dhoni taking his time to get going at the other end, Jadhav then started slipping in the odd boundary or two every now and then, ensuring the required rate never once surged too high above six.

His reading of match situations and game awareness stand out as a batter, and so does his ability to be a good listener and a quick learner.

"If I have a MS (Dhoni) or Virat (Kohli) at the other end, they will be telling you things, like taking the game deep," the 55-ODI-old Jadhav said after his man of the match performance on Saturday.

"These things don't always strike you and you need somebody to tell you that, unless you have played enough international cricket to understand that," he added.

What Jadhav has also understood is his bowling, a part of his game that hadn't been tapped often before.

With his unorthodox and slingy bowling action, Jadhav can be the ideal blend to India's two wrist-spinners in the World Cup, both of whom can leak runs on those flat English one-day wickets.

Consider this: Jadhav has only once conceded over six runs per over when he has bowled seven or more overs in an ODI. More importantly, of his 26 ODI wickets, 12 have been top-order batsmen (Nos. 1-3) and 12 middle-order batsmen (Nos. 4-7).

Jadhav not only has the knack of stifling the opposition with the ball but also striking a crucial blow when it matters, just like he did by removing the set Stoinis on Saturday.

What he also does cleverly is not overdo his round-arm action. Jadhav keeps changing the height of his delivery points and uses the width of the bowling crease, not letting the batsman get used to the uniqueness that he offers.

"I guess I'm just lucky to get wickets," Jadhav said. "I keep it stump to stump. You will find it difficult, my ball doesn't bounce that much. It comes from two or three different angles," he added.

Since the start of last year, the maximum number of overs Jadhav has bowled in an innings is nine, picking up 3/23 against Pakistan and 2/41 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.

The positive overs:returns ratio might tempt Kohli to think about extracting more from Jadhav with the ball, more so if one of his main bowlers were to have an off day or misfire during the World Cup.

Jadhav doesn't foresee that scenario, yet will be prepared to chip in if he is asked to, like is usually the case.

"I have never thought of bowling ten overs in a game as of now. (But) If the situation demands and the team requires me to, I can definitely do it," he said.

‘DHONI GETS BEST OUT OF PLAYERS’

Kedar Jadhav spoke highly about the influence MS Dhoni has on any junior player in the Indian team. “Every time I spend time with him, I learn a lot,” Jadhav said on Saturday. “I can’t put it in words but let’s say when I see Mahi bhai, I feel very confident. That’s the sort of aura where you feel that I will deliver today. He has that knack of getting the best out of every player and that’s what everybody loves about him. Credit to MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for what they have achieved in their career. If we can achieve 10 or 15 per cent of what they achieved, it will be great.”

JADHAV’S 26 WICKETS

• 12 Top-order (Nos. 1-3)
• 12 Middle-order (Nos. 4-7)
• 2 Lower-order (Nos. 4-7)

JADHAV IN ODI CRICKET

• 55 Matches
• 1,083 Runs
• 120 Highest
• 47.08 Average
• 105.65 Strike rate
• 2/5 100/50
• 26 Wickets
• 3/23 Best
• 4.94 Economy
• 31.53 Average
• 38.2 Strike rate